Detonating-fuse



A. ADELMAN.

De-TuNAnNGfUsl-I.

APPLICATION FILED JULY Il. |917.

l 'Patented D60. 30,1919.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ARTHUR ADELMAN, 0F WASHINGTON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, ASSIGNOR TO UNITED STATES ORDNANCE COMPANY, OF WASHINGTON, DISTRICT OF'COLUMBIA, A COR- PORATION OF VIRGINIA.

Application filed July 11, 1917.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, ARTHUR ADELiIAN, a citizen of lthe United States, residing at Washington, in the District of Columbia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in DetonatingFuses; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, ancexact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to improvements in detonating ,fuses and especially to improvementsrin point detonating fuses ofthe type which have what is known as the detonator safety feature, that is, the detonator is separated from the booster charge and surrounded by an air chamber in such a manner that if it should become ignited prematurely either in storage or in the barrel of the gun the gases would expand into the safety chamber and not ignite the bursting charge of the shell. In this type of fuses the safety device is usually armed by linear acceleration and when the fuses are used in connection with low powered guns and howitzers the linear acceleration will not arm a safety device that would have suflicient resistance to `permit the transporta-tion of the fuse with safety.

It istherefore the purpose of my inven-v tion to provide a safety device for a fuse of the type named, which will be armedby centrifugal force incident to the rotation of lthe projectile in flight, the device being adjusted to arm at any predetermined number of revolutions of the projectile per minute, such a safety device assuring arming of the fuse when used in low-powered guns and howitzers as well as in high-powered guns and affording ample resistance to permit the transportation of the fuse with safety.

It is also my purpose to introduce into a fuse of the type named a delayed method of ignition after impact so as to permit the projectile to bury itself some distance in the target or to pass through the target before detonation takes place. This delayed action is desirable with large caliber guns and howitzers to obtain what is known as mining effect. I

It is my further purpose in the present invention to insure that the percussion rod will not rebound or be pushed back after Specification of Letters Patent.

DE'IONATING-FUSE.

Patented Dec. 30, 1919.

Serial No. 179,833.

firing and during the interval of delayed action and cause explosion of the detonator while ydisposed in the safety chamber and to this end I provide an automatically operated locking device which is actuated after the percussion rod has parta-ken of a predetermined forward movement.

Furthermore, it is my purpose to insure erence will be had to the accompanying drawing wherein like characters of reference denote corresponding parts in the several views, and in which` Figure 1 is a longitudinal section of a detonating fuse embodying my invention, the parts being in theposition they would occupy before ring and during transportation of the fuse;

Fig. 2, a view similar to Fig. 1 with the parts in the position they would occupy after firing and.just before impact;

Fig. 3, a section on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4, a view similar to Fig. 1 showing a modified form of the invention; and

Fig. 5, a fragmental longitudinal section of the percussion rod showing a quick action primer associated therewith.

Referring now to the drawing my improved fuse is shown as comprising a casing A which is made up of a plurality of sections for convenience of assembly and to provide aV safety or air chamber 10 and a booster chamber 11 in which latter is stored the usual booster charge 12. Sflidably mounted within the casing A is a percussion rod 13 which carries at its rear end a detonator 14. This rod 13 is tubular and has mounted in its forward end a delay primer 15 of any desired construction, the ignition of which is designed to fire the-detona-y VVhen the rod 13 is in inactive or safe posi- '70 In describing my invention in detail, reftion the detona'tor 14 is disposed in the Vlocking device will function before' rearward 65 chamber 10 so lthat in the event of premature explosion of the detonator the gases i will expand in said chamber and such eXplosion will be without effect on the booster charge 12.

Mounted in the forward end of the casi-ng A a firing pin 17 which is adapted*V tov ignite the primer 15 when the rod 13 moves forward upon impact under nthe in-I fiuence of its inertia. Slidably engaged-Y around the pin 17 is a safety sleeve 18 which is yieldingly held in position so as to prof trude beyond the endof the firing pin by a spring 19. 'I-his sleeve is positively held against forward movement by al pin 2U) engagedthrough a suitable opening in the casing A. The pin 2O is only removed immediately before loading the projectile with whichthe fuse is associated-n the gun, and while the pin remainsin place itywill be obvious that Lth'e'iiring pin 17 cannot ignite the primer 15 even though the locking bolts 16 should faii. f

In order te insurethat the percussion rod 13 will not rebound or be pushed back by the spring 19Y after firing of the primer and during the interval of delayed Vaction I mount in suitable pockets in the percussion rod locking balls which' are thrown out by centrifugal force in front of a shoulder 22 on the easing A after the rod 13 has rmoved forward air-predetermined distance either as the result of impact or creeping during flight of the projectile.l When the balls 21 are interposed between fthe shoulder 22 and the rod 13 only a very small amount of rearward movement of said rod is possible and the detonator ltwill therefore remain positioned at substantially the center of she booster charge 12 until ignited by the primer 15.

In operation the pin 20 is first withdrawn andthe projectile fired. The rotation of the projectile will cause centrifugal force to move the bolts 16 to the position shown in Fig. 2 when the percussion rod 13 will creep forward until it engagesthe sleeve 18, the spring 19 being strong enough to prevent further creeping of the rod. The balls 21 will then move to locking position andfprevent substantial rearward movement of the rod 13 after impact and firing of the primer 15.r The firing of tie primer 15 will ignite the detonator 14 and the explosion of the detonator will effect the bursting of the projectile through the booster charge. If the range is short the percussion rod 'may not creep forward during flight of the projectile, to engage the sleeve 18 but failure lto ycreep forward does not impair the action of the fuse, since the rod will move forward on impact from` whatever position it may occupy and the :motionY can take place. i

In the form of the invention illustrated in Fig. 4 I extend the firing pin 17 into the bore of the percussion rod and move the primer 15 into proximity to the detonator 14:. Iif desired my fuse canbe constructed without delayed action by substituting a quick acting primer for the delay" primer as illustrated at 23 in Fig. 5t i What is claimed is 1. In a detonating fuse, the combination of a casing, Va firing pin ixedrelatively to the casing, a percussion rod slidable in the casing, a detonator carried'by the rod and actuated by the firing pin during movement of the rod incident to impact, autcmaticaily released means normally restraining the rod against firing movement, and manually releasable means for preventing full Afiring movement of the red upon failure of the automatically released restraining means.

2.7- In a detonating fuse, the combination of casing, `a ring pin Xed relativelyY to the casing, a percussion rod slidable in the casing, a detonator carried by the rod. and actuated by the firing pin? during movement of the rod incident to impact, automatically released means normally restraining the Vrod against firing movement, a safety element engageable with Vthe percussionVV rod upon failure of the automatically released restraining means to prevent full iringrnovement of the rod, and a releasable pin norrcnally locking said element in :safety posiion. i

3. In a detonating fuse, the combination of a casing, a firing pin fixed relatively to the casing, a percussion rodv slidable in the casing, a detonator carried by the rod and actuated by the tiring pin during movement of the rod incident to impact, automatically released means normally restraining the rod against firing movement, a safety element slidable in the easing and engageable with the percussion rod upon failure of the automatically released restraining means to prevent fuil firing movement of the rod, and a removable pin normally locking said element in safety position.

4. In a detonating fuse, the combination of a casing, a firing fixed relatively to thecasing, a percussion rod slidable yin the casing, a detonator carried by the percussion rod, a delay primer also carried by the percussion rod and actuated by the ring pin during firing movement of the rod incident to impact, releasable means normally restraining the rod against non-firing movement during the interval of delay incident to the operation of the delay primer.

5. In a detonating fuse, the combination of a casing including a safety chamber and a booster chamber, a firing pinXed relatively to the casing, a percussion rod slidable in the casing, a detonator carried by the percussion rod normally disposed in the safety chamber and movable into the booster chamber by forward movement of the rod incident to impact, releasable means normally restraining the rod against forward movement, and means operable after a predetermined forward movement of the vrod to lock the latter against rearward movement and thereby prevent-,return of the detonator to the safety chamber. y

6. In a detonating fuse, the combination of a casing including a safety chamber and a booster chamber, a firing pin fixed relatively to the casing, a percussion rod slidable in the casing, a detonator carried by the percussion rod normally disposed in the safety chamber and movable into the booster chamber by forward movement of the rod incident to impact, a delay primer carried by the rod and actuated by the firing pin during forward movement of the rod, releasable means normally restraining the rod against forward movement, and means operable after a predetermined forward movement of the rod to lock the latter against rearward movement during the interval of delay necessary for operation of the primer.

In testimony whereof I hereunto ailix my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

ARTHUR ADELMAN.

Witnesses z HENRY T. BRIGHT, JOHN H. SIGGERs. 

